Will Nick Bosa play in Week 1 vs. Steelers? Gameday updates for 49ers superstar

Nick Bosa and the 49ers took until the 11th hour to come up with a massive contract extension, but is it in time for him to play Week 1 versus the Steelers?

San Francisco 49ers star defensive end Nick Bosa is now the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.

This, after news broke on Wednesday that the Niners were offering him a five-year, $170 million extension with $122.5 million guaranteed, numbers that exceed the money awarded to Los Angeles Rams perennial All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

ESPN first reported that story on Wednesday afternoon, and the football world reacted not long thereafter.

Bosa held out during both training camp and the preseason while awaiting his new contract. So, naturally, there'll be some questions and concerns about whether or not he'll be ready for San Francisco's first game of the 2023 regular season, a Week 1 showdown on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

At least from Pittsburgh's vantage point, the news will be disappointing for fans of the black and gold.

Nick Bosa will play for 49ers vs. Steelers, per to Kyle Shanahan

There was a legitimate chance Bosa would miss the season opener in Pittsburgh, particularly in light of how long contract negotiations were taking.

And, for most players, missing that much time with the team would likely result in a missed first game, too, particularly with the understanding that it'd take a while for the proverbial "football legs" to come back.

Not so with Bosa, though, who notably trains as hard as anyone else in the NFL in an attempt to keep himself in gameday shape.

According to head coach Kyle Shanahan, who spoke to reporters just minutes after the Bosa deal broke news waves, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year will be playing for the 49ers this Sunday.

"There's a question because we haven’t seen him," Shanahan said. "But I think you guys know how I’m talking. He'd have to have a beer belly and be out of shape or something, which that’s not in Bosa’s DNA."

True, coach. True.

It's great news for the Niners, who'll want to start off their 2023 campaign with a road win.

Bosa helps make that goal much more attainable in a big, big way.

San Francisco and Pittsburgh kick off on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. ET.

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